Danbury Metro-North line signal fix to improve service

No more 'stop and warn' delays, off-peak service resumes

Martin B. Cassidy

Updated 8:34 pm, Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Metro-North employees continue work on the installation of a new centralized signal control system Monday, Oct. 21, 2013, in Danbury, Conn. The system includes a complex series of switches, power stations and signals, which will allow controllers from Grand Cental Terminal to operate the line. This will provide more frequent service to area commuters.
Photo: Carol Kaliff

Erich Kunst, Connecticut Department of Transportation project engineer on the new signal system being installed on the Danbury Branch line, talks about the progress in Bethel, Conn. Friday, Sept. 20, 2013.
Photo: Carol Kaliff

After months of enduring delays and taking buses instead of trains, Danbury Branch users should find their travels easier starting Monday, with Metro-North's announcement this week that delays from signal problems should mostly be eliminated, and that most off-peak train service will be reinstated.

The line has been plagued by a recurring glitch since a $70 million signal upgrade was installed last fall, which caused crossing gates to drop at the wrong time. The problem caused extensive delays because trains had to go through a "stop and warn" safety procedure requiring them to stop at every crossing affected by the problem so conductors could check that the drop arms and other grade crossing equipment were functioning correctly and that no cars or other traffic were in danger of being hit.

Michael Fisher, a Bethel commuter, said he was glad to hear the stop and warn procedures that had added eight to 10 minutes to his morning commute would be coming to an end, but said he hoped that Metro-North would aim for quicker travel times to Grand Central Terminal for Danbury riders.

Progress on the repairs has been more obvious during shorter trips during the evening rush hour, Fisher said.

"The evening commutes have gotten noticeably better for the last couple of months, while the morning commute for most passengers into Grand Central is still eight to 10 minutes late almost daily."

The problem emerged last fall shortly after the new signal system was put into service after 3 ½ years of installation work. Department of Transportation officials and Metro-North initially spent several months trying to solve the problem before announcing they had formed a working group with the manufacturer of the train detection system Alstom and Siemens to find a permanent fix.

Since March, off-peak riders have been bused to allow more time for repairs. Rush-hour riders have simply had to put up with lengthier travel times with the "stop and warn" delays.

The state will re-establish non-rush-hour train service on weekdays, too.

"This will be good and make a big difference for the people who ride the train in off-peak times," Bethel commuter Roberta Reese said.

However, busing for weekend service will remain in place until further notice, Department of Transportation spokesman Judd Everhart said as the repairs to other parts of the signal system continue.

The restored service coincides with other weekday train schedule adjustments in effect this Monday aimed at relieving crowding and improving run times on the New Haven Line to Grand Central Terminal.

The cause of the signal system problems was initially thought to be weather-related, but after winter ended, it emerged that there were problems with the foundations around the crossbars and other grade crossing equipment. Rubber matting, crossbuck signs and rails at 11 crossings where the problem had occurred in Danbury, Bethel, Wilton, and Branchville were replaced, Everhart said this week. The age and condition of those components had allowed silt, salt and moisture to build up, making the sensors incorrectly sense an approaching train.

The improvements have also been noted by Danbury Police Lt. Chris Caroccio, who said the need for police to respond to malfunctioning gates has fallen back from the frequent levels seen before the crossing equipment repairs were done.

In winter, the police handled more than 13 complaints for just two crossings -- at Shelter Rock and Great Plains roads -- which required officers to direct traffic to prevent train-versus-vehicle accidents.

The signalization upgrade was done to help increase efficiency and capacity on the train line. The project also included the construction of several sections of parallel tracks along the line to allow more than one train on the line at a time, by letting trains pass each other.